Tuesday, 19 August 2014

Local legend says that these bunkers are haunted; so during daylight we went to judge for ourselves. Spoiler: they were not in fact haunted. Like any third year history major I researched the history of the tunnels whilst procrastinating on what to wear.

The Hill 60 bunkers were once built to protect the nearby ports in World War Two, although these bunkers were never actively used in wartime events, the foundations for large guns are visible overlooking the ocean. The bunkers comprise of two tunnels, equipped with a series of rooms that branch off from the main walkway. Now abandoned, the two tunnels are used by locals to graffiti the walls and to party as quite obvious by the debris. The bunkers are not the most hygienic place to be spending time in so I don't plan on returning anytime soon.

On the day we visited the tunnels it was quite overcast weather and it had a prominent winter chill to the air. I chose a preppy-Wednesday Adams themed outfit paired with my new Mui Mui glasses and black statement bag by Cambridge Satchel Company. I'm wearing an old button down black dress with white collar, underneath a Peter Alexander daywear Mickey Mouse sweater. My lipstick is Limecrime's Poisonberry.

Monday, 4 August 2014

The Sydney Opera House is a venue reserved only for the most exclusive events and on Thursday 24th July the city of Sydney heard Dallas Green (of City and Colour) as he sang his way into our hearts. Walking into the Opera House Concert Hall I notice how the layers of the building as seen from the exterior are mirrored accordingly. The room is arranged around a stage that seemsto squeeze out of a condensed space of mezzanine levels, with balconies that hold seats filled by shadowy figures. My first impression of this space is of a blanket fort made from layered quilts and sheets. This theme of intimacy is heavily drawn upon as Dallas Green invite us all for an evening simply with Dallas, his guitar, and a harmonica.

Inside The Concert Hall, Dallas shared vivid stories of love, loss and spirituality in the form of his signature soulful vocals. Strange to describe but at moments during the night I could almost feel the entire auditorium breathe as one in these unison sighs. I imagined I could feel all the patrons express an inaudible feeling, triggered by the flow of effervescent sounds within the music that we all shared. Highlights of the evening were "Coming Home" and "Body In A Box" but it's difficult to choose favourites as the set was beautifully arranged with a variety of songs taken from Dallas Green's discography. "What Makes a Man" saw Green conduct the audience in a special Opera Concert Hall choir, which was very fun to be apart of. Another memorable part of the evening was Dallas honesty in describing the background of "The Grand Optimist" a lovely song with a powerful family message.

The set was finished like the majority of City and Colour sets with "Coming Home". I think the connection to blanket forts was made because in a special way I participated in a sacred ritual of blanket fort story telling that evening. It was inside these private spaces where secrets were whispered into the ears of invited friends, and lasting memories were made after the fort was demolished.